Heroic Remnants
by NotXeno
Summary: The grail was full. A wish was to be granted. But was the outcome truly what was to be expected? And how will the survivors cope with the results? It's a new world and a new mission, with allies and enemies both waiting in the wings. Perhaps a simple soul isn't the answer, this time...
1. The Moon is What!

**Hey... I'm really bad at fanfiction but wanted to get this idea out. Don't expect anything major to come from it unless a miracle affects my work ethic and depression. But hey, it's a Fate/RWBY. That's cool, right? Tell me what you think.**

**XxBreakxX**

It was a quiet night in a forest. Trees as far as the eye could see with not a hint of even minor civilization apparent. Yet here in the middle of what amounted to "nowhere" was a small group of people around a lit campfire. There were four of them, two men and two women. The two women appeared to be unconscious and set near each other on the forest floor.

"You know I don't have much time left, right?" A deep voice sounded. It was the taller male, with tanned skin and white hair. His red coat was filled with holes in the back and dark with dried blood.

A grunt was his response. The younger male had red hair and wore a very casual white and blue set of clothes. Peculiar, though, was his lack of right arm. What looked like a black ribbon was tied around the stump and the shirt was knotted around the end. Blood still dripped from the wound, seeping through the cloth that covered it, but surely the flow was slowing.

"I still find it hard to talk with you. Sorry." The teen answered. He winced and then started rubbing his wound. It obviously wasn't something he could just ignore.

"If perhaps we had somebody proficient in spiritual healing magecraft I could give you my arm before I disappear, but we don't have such a luxury."

The auburn-haired teen just laughed. "I didn't know I grew up to be such a jokester, Archer."

The now-named Archer narrowed his eyes. "I was telling the truth, actually. And be careful how you address our relationship, Shirou Emiya. I would've thought you more adverse to admitting so."

The teen, Shirou, met the taller man's gaze. "Things might have been different if you would have kept working with us the whole way through, y'know."

"It wouldn't have mattered, honestly. The King of Heroes viewed me as a threat the whole damn war. He would have moved to take me out whether I was with Caster OR Rin." Archer answered.

Just hearing the title of that bastard had Shirou's remaining hand gripped tight. "What even happened there, at the end? How did we end up here."

"My best guess?" Archer started. "The Third Magic activated. It takes seven Servants for the Grail to be fully realized. Gilgamesh and the excess Prana from Saber's Noble Phantasm must have been enough to equal that amount."

The Third Magic? Shirou paused and remembered what he knew of it. "That means that... somebody made a wish? One of us wished to be brought here?"

Archer hummed in affirmation. "Rin, specifically. She was the winner of the war, after all. She was the only magus remaining with Command Spells. Only she could have made a wish on the Grail."

"But why?" The younger male asked. "What kind of wish would she make to do this?"

"It was probably a really simple wish, to be honest. When she saw what was happening, it could have been as barebones as 'Get him out of there'. Maybe it could have been as complicated as 'Make us safe'. We won't know until she wakes up." Archer paused, looking at his right hand, which had adopted a sort of transparent look to it. "That is... if I make it that long."

A short silence permeated the campsite, before the hand Shirou had on his stump quickly retracted itself.

"Ouch!" He exclaimed. "What the hell?" He further stated, confused at the sharp feeling he had just felt.

Archer chuckled. "That's your Reality Marble beginning to manifest in your wound. Your mana has apparently recharged enough for it to show itself."

"'My body is made of swords', huh?" Shirou responded, before thinking of something. "Is Gilgamesh here, too?"

"I doubt it." The tanned bowman responded easily. "Nothing about him would have registered as an ally to Rin when she made her wish. Besides that, he was being absorbed by the Grail, like I said before. The mana that made him up was dissolving to fuel the wish in the first place. There's no way he's here."

"That's worth something, at least. Why is Saber unconscious too?"

Archer grunted at the constant barrage of questions. "Thinking about it, she must have been really close to disappearing of mana shortage. Whatever Rin did to keep her around has put her in a state of recovery. She's not like normal Servants, and will sleep to regain minor amounts of mana. Without the Grail, though, you'll have to take some extra measures to keep her around."

"Like?"

"Prana exchanges. Whatever kind works. Tantric is hard, but effective. You've done it before, right?"

Shirou blushed as red as his hair. "W-w-what makes you think that?"

Archer finally laughed with true amusement. "I can smell Rin's signature all over you."

"Smell?"

"You'll figure it out eventually." Archer answered vaguely, before his eyes suddenly widened. "It looks like I'm not going to make it much more beyond this point, and I'm certainly not doing any prana exchanges with YOU to stay around."

Shirou cringed.

"I doubt I deserve it, anyways. Happiness... is something I gave up long ago. For what it's worth, I'm sorry about your arm. If I had shot faster..."

"It's fine." The teen in question interrupted. "What if I had been dragged into the Grail's void? In fact, maybe because I cut it off and he was fully absorbed the Grail was able to even grant Rin's wish. I can live without it, as long as we're all safe."

Archer chuckled, a common action around his younger self. "For once you say something admirable. The Bounded Field I put up is going to go down the moment I vanish. If there's anything hostile out there, be ready."

Shirou nodded, resolute in his desire to protect the two remaining. Motes of light began emitting from Archer's body, a sign that his Spirit Origin was dissolving from lack of prana.

Archer then surprised Shirou with a genuine smile. "Keep them safe, Shirou Emiya. I have a feeling what comes next... will not be so simple." He finished before fading away.

The auburn-haired teen sighed and looked up to the night sky. What caught his gaze was the moon... completely shattered.

"No kidding..."

**XxBreakxX**

_Bodies everywhere... the roars of combat still prevalent. Fires burned hot and buildings lay crumbled. Atop a hill of swords and discarded weaponry stood two figures locked in immense combat. One was extremely aggressive, showing to poise in their swordsmanship, using the exquisitely crafted blade in their possession more like a battering club than a blade of discipline. The other figure fought with much more skill, but no less power. Sounds volumes higher than any sword clash should produce came with every collision the figures made. Winds flew about from the force of their strikes, and none of the other combatants on this field of war could get anywhere close._

_"What's the matter, Father?! Your swings are slowing down!" A feminine voice sounded from the aggressive figure, revealed to be a hulking set of red and silver armor. The helmet was extremely well-made and had two menacing horns on top. The defending figure said nothing, but was shown to be wearing significantly less armor; more akin to a blue and white battle dress. Female as well, she was gorgeous of features with long blonde hair and striking green eyes. She showed signs of intense battle, with one of her eyes kept shut by a steady flow of blood from her brow. Her breathing was labored as well._

_Another overhead swing from the armored assailant hit the woman's was blocked and deflected in short order with a loud boom. The golden sword in the woman's hands was gorgeous to an almost otherworldly degree. She responded with a kick from her greave-clad right leg straight to the armor figure's gut, sending her flying off the hill and rolling down to the bodies that lay below. She stood back up immediately and with a snarl rose her sword to the sky. The silver and red blade's guard expanded outwards and crackles of red mana began to surround the main blade. The helmet then dismantled itself into a collar around her neck, showing her true face, which was almost identical to her opponent's, the only difference being she held her hair into a ponytail with a braid across her scalp. With a vicious grin, wide and full of teeth, she yelled out._

_"__Crimson Lightning!__"_

_Gigantic wisps of electricity scattered across the field, red as the shout the armored woman claimed. Quickly, the lightning seemed to find its target and raced up the small hill towards the other combatant. Gritting her teeth, the defending woman tried to form some sort of whirlwind to counter the lightning, but it didn't form well and was dispersed by the oncoming attack almost immediately. Forced to bring her sword to defend her, she couldn't stop everything, and after a rough struggle the beautiful sword was blasted from her hand into the distance. She felt her skin heat with the attack now on her directly. She nearly hit the floor from the pain, but propped herself up with her hands. It was then she noticed something in the dirt next to her._

_The manic grin on the armored woman grew even more so as she shot from her position up the hill with speed that cratered the ground. "It's over!" She yelled triumphantly, only to see something that surprised her. Her opponent had grabbed a random spear out of the ground and met her charge unexpectedly. With the armored woman's swing high above her head, there was no defense to her torso. The unremarkable weapon tore straight into her stomach and the wielder violently ripped it back out. The armored woman hit her knee, dropping her sword and coughing up blood. "F-father... I just..." She was not able to finish, her face planted into the dirt and her life gone._

_The victory stood shakily, looking down at the body of her foe, a complicated expression on her face. Nothing was said though, as she turn back towards the battlefield, only to collapse herself after a few steps..._

_**XxBreakxX**_

Rin Tohsaka abruptly woke from her unconsciousness. She noticed she was on quite the uncomfortable surface, that being a bunch of dirt and leafs. Sitting up, she noticed a dim light shining over the horizon through the trees. It was morning, and apparently she was in a forest. Adjusting herself a bit more, she noticed another person beside her. Looking quickly, the black-haired magus saw none other than her Servant.

"Saber?" She muttered, checking the connection between them. She was weak, very much so. The emergency contract Rin tried reforming after Saber began to disappear was extremely makeshift. Not only was the Servant in question almost completely out of mana, but Rin herself was exhausted from trying to save Shinji. Her musings were cut short by a familiar voice.

"Ah, Tohsaka. You're awake."

Rin turned so fast she almost gave herself whiplash. "...Emiya-kun?" She questioned, looking him over. He was a complete mess, for sure. Thick cuts ran across his body, staining his shirt with dried blood, and most glaringly obvious was...

"Your arm!" She shouted, finally standing up and running to him.

Shirou tossed the piece of wood he was holding into the still-lit fire. Rin absently noticed that she hadn't felt its heat until now. The auburn-haired teen sheepishly smiled and rubbed the back of his head with his remaining hand. "Yeah, I kinda lost it..."

"How can you just 'lose it'?! What happened?" Rin exclaimed.

"When Saber destroyed the Grail, it attempted to find a new core before it completely disappeared. You're honestly lucky it didn't choose Saber. Gilgamesh was its target and well... he didn't take kindly to being absorbed. He used that chain thing to try dragging me in with him, and I kinda cut off my arm to get away. Archer then pegged him in the forehead and the rest is history." Shirou explained.

Rin tried to comprehend the slew of information she'd just been given. "Archer? So he was still around! That lout! Betraying me only to throw a fight with you and then fake his death?! OOOH WHERE IS HE?" She ranted.

"He disappeared sometime during the night, Rin. He was wounded and out of mana with no Master. The fact that he lasted as long as he did was a miracle in itself. He told me... to take care of you." Shirou revealed solemnly.

The girl in question turn her head to the side, shielding her face from Shirou. "That... fool..." She said, before sniffling could be heard.

Shirou gave her a moment before explaining everything that Archer had said may have happened.

"What did I wish for? I... don't really remember. I know that I saw you with a chain around your arm... and Saber had no way to support you... I just... I was tired of everything. All of this crap... I wanted it all gone. I guess that got us here. Where is here, exactly?" The twin-tailed magus questioned.

"Well, that's the thing... I'm pretty sure we're on another planet."

Silence.

"Come again, Emiya-kun?" Rin started lowly. "I could have sworn you said-"

"The moon was in pieces, Tohsaka. The only way that would have happened on Earth is if the Crimson Moon broke out, and we're not in the middle of a blood-soaked vampire apocalypse at the moment, so..."

A small rustling drew their attention to Saber's position. It seemed she'd finally regained consciousness.

"Rin? Shirou? I... I can't move very well... where are we?" Saber asked weakly.

Rin ran over to her Servant and lifted her into a sitting position. "We're not sure yet, Saber. How are you feeling?"

"I feel the pull... it's so strong... the Hill of Swords wants me back, Rin."

Neither Rin nor Shirou needed clarification on that statement. They'd both experienced the Dream Cycle, even if only a couple nights for Rin.

Rin looked at Shirou. "We need to get somewhere safe. I can't do any prana exchanges without the proper Formalcraft set, and the ground here in the woods is no good."

Shirou stood up and started kicking dirt over the campfire. "I'll try and climb on of these trees and look for a town or something. If we can find an inn or something, you could probably do your work." He said before reinforcing his body and jumping to a branch above him. Looking down at the girls he said, "Keep Saber safe, okay? Archer said he felt something hostile in these woods last night, and I'm not sure I want to find out what is"

Rin nodded and Shirou leaped to another branch higher up, and once again until he was out of sight. Rin helped Saber to her lap, brushing her hair out of her eyes. "You're so warm... I didn't think Servants could even get sick."

Saber gave a weak smile. "Yes, well... I'm not exactly a normal Servant."

**XxBreakxX**

Shirou had finally reached the top of a tree and held onto the tip with his remaining hand. He saw what looked to be a small collection of buildings in a clearing a decent ways out. He was worried that Saber might not make it that far, but it was their only chance. Looking around more, he noticed something small headed his way... and it was getting closer... very fast... and wasn't as small as he first thought.

"IS THAT A BIRD?!" He exclaimed before jumping from his perch as the giant crow slammed right into his position. Landing on a different tree's branch, he looked up and noticed the avian monstrosity had a bone-like mask and glowing red eyes. Shirou held out his only hand.

The trigger in his mind clicked.

"Trace on!" He shouted, summoning a simple yet well-crafted European-styled straight sword. The faker had gotten it from naught but a simple glance at the King of Heroes' onslaught of weaponry. He absently noticed it was of a strong iron make and was forged over the span of three days. Most likely enough for this foe.

The large screech of the overgrown bird signaled a second run at Shirou's position. The magus-in-training jumped at the last second, landing on the creature's back. He quickly impaled the thing in the back of its neck, but it didn't seem to do much more than enrage the beast. It thrashed around, spinning through the air, forcing Shirou to square his feet and hold onto the blade's handle for dear life. When he noticed they were heading toward the camp, he decided he needed to end it quickly. Tightening his grip on the sword, he shouted.

"Trace: Overedge!"

Suddenly, the blade of the sword morphed. It widened considerably until it looked like a spiked broadsword... while inside the creature. The expansion of the blade spread the stab wound in the bird immensely, causing it great pain. Shirou then moved to finish it.

"Break!"

With a loud "boom", a cloud of smoke consumed the pairs position.

**XxBreakxX**

Rin was pouring some water she found at a nearby stream into Saber's mouth. Food and water amounted to admittedly quite little for a traditional Servant, but Saber had explained that beyond all reasoning she was in a human body. It explained why she couldn't go astral, for one thing, and also why she loved to eat. The water would calm her down. Suddenly though, a loud boom alerted her to something in the sky behind her.

At high speed a giant, headless bird slammed into the ground near her and skid to a stop. None other than Shirou stepping off it and chuckling.

"Hey, Tohsaka. I found the hostile thing."

**XxBreakxX**

"So... you checked for civilization somewhere in the treeline?"

"Yeah."

"And a giant masked crow attacked you?"

"Uh-huh."

"You then killed it using Archer's techniques which you shouldn't know?"

"Yup."

"Then it just... disappeared into nothing?"

"Well technically it could have turned into-"

Saber chose to interrupt Rin and Shirou's pointless conversation with a violent coughing fit. They both ran to her spot near the stream quickly, and Shirou could swear he saw motes of light similar to a Servant dispersal coming off her body. "She's... fading. What do we do, Tohsaka?" He asked quietly.

"Well, you did see a little village or something before the... thing attacked you. We'll get her there as fast as possible, then look for an inn or something. If there's nothing, I don't care I'm hypnotizing somebody so we can use their house. I'll set up the Formalcraft, we'll get Saber her mana, and we'll figure things out from there." Rin explained quickly.

Shirou nodded and leaned down to pick up Saber, still covered in a projected blanket. (Another thing Rin figured Shirou couldn't do.) He was forced to stop those, as he realized that not only was he missing the extra arm to make the carrying stable, but they needed defense in the event of more of those black creatures. Rin opted to pick her up bridal style instead. _"She's so light..." _Rin mused to herself. They set off at a brisk pace, ready for whatever came, hopefully with Saber still at their side...

**XxChapter 1 EndxX**


	2. Arrival

**Let's do this.**

**XxChapter 2 StartxX**

"Emiya-kun, on your left!" Rin shouted, running forward with Saber in her arms.

Shirou responded to the callout swiftly, turning his attention and firing a nameless blade at the wolf-like creature attacking him. They were coming out in droves, and seemed to go after Saber directly of all things. They were at quite the conundrum. Reach the village and bring these beasts, or stay and risk Saber disappearing while they cleaned them up. And even then, it wasn't a given that they COULD do such a thing, and stronger variants of these creatures could exist and attack as well.

Shirou was in a bad spot personally, as well. His mana supplement crest he'd gotten from Rin needed recharging. Even firing weapons in a manner similar to Gilgamesh on a small scale would run him ragged, and Rin needed to save her own mana for when she tended to Saber. A bear like monster then barreled through the crowd of werewolves straight towards Saber again.

"Dammit!" Shirou swore, moving as quickly as possible to intercept the beast. Reinforcement made it possible, but the more he had to do it the faster he wore down. It made a downhill battle go downhill even faster. "Trace On!" The faker commanded, forming two more blades above his head as he skidded to a stop in front of the charging bear. On his mental command, they flew forward with remarkable accuracy and punctured each of the monster's forearms, making it cease its charge and stumble forward onto its face. Obviously enraged, the bear rose onto its hind legs to deal with the interference to its goal only to see the human before it gone. Looking down, it finally noticed Shirou had already closed the distance, a longsword in his only hand. A swift slash laterally had the bear's hind legs severed, and it finally fell flat with no way to get up, allowing the red-haired teen to take the same long sword and stab it through the monster's head, ending its "life" and allowing it to disperse like its brethren.

Shirou quickly removed the sword without hesitation and turned around to throw it at a werewolf that had gotten too close to Rin and Saber for his comfort; an impressive throw to any who saw it. Shirou was realizing that his normal style was no good, even when heavily adapted to one arm, in his current state. He needed to adapt himself, and find a new way to fight the most efficiently with one arm.

"Emiya-kun!" Rin yelled from the distance. "Saber says to use more 'heft', to compensate for your missing arm! I don't really get it, but she thinks it will help!"

Heft? Saber was of course his traditional teacher of swordsmanship during the Grail War. His mimicry of Archer's style was just that—mimicry. The only fundamentals in his head came from Saber, and she knew what she was talking about when it came to the art of the blade. Heft? His normal style was to just do what Archer did and try and bastardize the "false openings" style. But did these monsters even look for openings in a sword stance? Probably not. He also dual wielded to allow for speed, and to react from multiple angles. Once again, not an option. Heft? He couldn't even fire his Projections like Gilgamesh without more mana, and he was running low from his last major fight. The only option left was to just go broke on a single weapon and—!

Shirou grinned. He then traced what looked to be a greatsword too big for any one man to wield, with a straight edge and a sharp angle towards the front. Another sword from the King of Heroes' armory that made veritable explosions when used the overpowered Servant's preferred way. Shirou reinforced his remaining arm to extreme degrees and managed to hold the monolithic bundle of steel with one arm. He had dropped reinforcement on his body for defensive measures, and hit what he considered his maximum on his arm. Trying any more to strengthen it could reach the limb's limit and basically explode it from the inside out. Such were the dangers of Reinforcement magecraft, yet another foolish specialization for the Faker to choose. But thus was the life of a Magus. To walk with death.

Shirou turned his body sharply and pulled his greatsword with him, the momentum allowing it to carve through multiple werewolves and send winds flying in the general direction of the swing. If speed was no longer his option, pure power would have to suffice. Take a large weapon and make use of heavy movements to carve through even the toughest enemies. Heft was indeed a good idea! Feeling like Berserker using his giant axe, Shirou carved through even the odd bear creature with relative ease, but overwhelming power. Finally, the village Shirou had seen was nearby, but there were walls surrounding the whole thing. Where was the proper entrance? Rin could probably jump it, but that would lead to a lot of questions.

Luckily, what looked to be a gate was only a few yards to the right of where they arrived, and Rin immediately began banging on it and attempting to open it with one hand, the other keeping Saber secure. "Is anybody here, dammit? Open up already!"

Shirou took no time of his own to request aid, allowing Rin to handle it. He was still focused on the horde of beasts attacking in waves, no rest in sight. He was tiring out, and had even taken a few swipes here and there, fresh blood adding to the already present dry blood on his clothes. It was bound to happen, but Shirou screwed up. The heavy swings took their toll on his stamina and physical body both, leading to a sprained ankle on a particularly heavy spin. He tripped forward, only to feel the wind of a werewolf leaping over his toppled body straight towards Rin and Saber. He tried tracing a blade to fire, but his reserves wouldn't cooperate. The greatsword was all he had in him.

"Tohsaka!" He screamed, fearing the worst...

**XxBreakxX**

The town of Ansel was a quaint little place on the edge of the border between Vale and Mistral. It sat on the Valean side, well protected by high-quality encampment walls and a strong active militia. They even had a resident Hunstman, who was currently on patrol himself. Said man was tall, with short blonde hair and an equally blonde short beard. He was heading through the marketplace when the alarm sounded. His hand went straight to his Scroll, bringing up the defense grid sensor, his access as a Huntsman allowing him to see where around the city wall the alarm was triggered. The western gate, luckily quite close to his current position. He pocketed the device and drew his sword, long silver steel with what looked to be a firearm component on the underside. It was not held traditionally, and was angled downwards with his arm to his side. He ran quite fast towards his destination, and saw a few members of the local militia who were on duty loading their rifles. Upon noticing the Hunstman, one of the men turned to address him.

"Nicholas! We've spotted a horde of Beowolves and Ursai across the treeline. They triggered the sensors about three minutes ago. If they keep a full charge they'll be here soon. There weren't many though, so we should handle it fine without you, sir."

Nicholas contemplated the information he was given. "Something doesn't feel right. Here's a lesson on Grimm for you, Tobias. There's always a catalyst to their appearance. Something is going on here that's leading them to us, or..."

"Somebody is leading them straight to us?" Tobias figured.

Nicholas nodded. "Just so. Open the gate so that I can-"

"I can see them! They're... they're chasing some people!" A militia member looking over the wall yelled.

The blonde Huntsman wasted no time, jumping straight up to the elevated walkway that allowed them to overlook the defensive walls in an impressive display of physical prowess. He moved next to the guardsman and gestured for his binoculars. The man complied quickly, and Nicholas took a look towards the distance. What he saw surprised him.

A woman was running with exceptional speed towards the gates even while holding another person. Beyond the body structure and a vague glimpse of their clothing, he couldn't make much of an ID. As she got closer, he noticed her to be quite young, perhaps in her late teens, and the other figure she was holding was a young girl with blonde hair much like Nicholas' own. In fact, as he looked closer, it seemed the black-haired girl's legs were... glowing light blue? Perhaps a Semblance of sorts? All thoughts on the matter ceased the moment he saw a third figure bringing up the rear. A red-haired teen with one arm hefting a massive greatsword around, expertly but brutally felling Grimm with every stroke of the blade. His wounds were unclear from such a distance, but the the red staining his clothing was undeniable. Before Nicholas knew it, the black-haired girl had arrived at the gate and started banging and yelling. Almost in slow motion he saw the boy stagger and fall, while a large Beowolf leaped towards the young girls.

Nicholas threw aside the binoculars and jumped.

**XxBreakxX**

The werewolf was mere feet away from Rin before a figure descended upon it, blade in hand and straight through the beast's skull. The man rose quickly and pointed his blade at Shirou, firing high-caliber bullets of all things from a chamber near the hilt. With pinpoint accuracy he managed to shoot a few additional creatures pouncing on Shirou, sending them to the ground to disappear with the others Shirou had already killed. Rin turned around and looked at the blonde man, almost more startled than anything.

"Who are-"

"No time!" He interrupted, just as the gate began to open by sliding upwards. "Get through. I'll grab your friend and my men will cover you!"

Rin was hesitant to leave Shirou, but knew her priorities and entered the city. She was immediately met by what looked to be guardsman who offerred to take Saber off her hands, but she adamantly refused at every turn. "Please, I know what she needs, can you just give us a room to rest at an inn or something?"

"But ma'am, you're injured, and she doesn't look so good. A doctor would be better for..." His words were stopped as he looked into Rin's eyes, now glowing slightly. "You should take us to the inn."  
That did sound like a good idea now that he thought about it. Yeah, he should do that.

"Follow me then, ma'am." He said, leading them towards their destination while the other guardsman climbed to the upper area of the wall to shoot from.

**XxBreakxX**

Shirou was definitely thankful for the save, but didn't want to be completely shown up. His sprain was momentary at best, as his healing factor was high for even the average combat magus. Back on his feet he joined the man who saved Rin and Saber in combat against the beasts. Although he got back into the thick of things quickly enough, he spared a glance to see his battle partner's weapon. It's name was "Lion's Pride" and was a... gunblade? His Reality Marble was having trouble fully processing it. The forging of the blade using Mistrali steel, the exact length in centimeters, all the way to the owner Nicholas Arc. Where his Structural Analysis started to fall apart was at the firearm component of the weapon. He couldn't trace its innards nor could he process the type of ammunition it used. Strange.

Eventually, riflemen perched atop the village walls began to take fairly accurate shots at the monsters, thinning the horde even more, until for some reason they just... stopped coming. He strode up to Nicholas, who tore his blade from the body of one of the few remaining creatures. "Thanks for the assist, sir. It was looking pretty bad."

The man in question gave him a hard stare. "You were lucky, son. From what I could tell, the Grimm were after the sick girl you were escorting. Negativity like that'll bring 'em in droves. If you hadn't to Ansel in time..."

Shirou looked away at the chastisement. "I know. We've been in the woods since late last night. We left as the sun hit apex after making sure we were hydrated. The... "Grimm" were unexpected. My friends, are they—?"

"I'll check." The Hunstman said, pulling out a... super advanced cellular device? Shirou'd never seen anything like it. The screen was holographic! "This is Nick. Grimm are clear and gates are secured. Any update on the refugees that got through?"

"Sir! They've been escorted under guard to the local inn to rest. Maron thought it better than interrogating them right away." A voice responded from the device.

Nicholas thought it strange the guardsman would opt for the inn over the clinic, but decided that the boy next to him needed it far more. "Sounds good. I've got an injured boy here who needs immediate attention. Surprised he could still fight, honestly. I'll be sending escorting him over personally. Over and out." He finished, closing the device.

Shirou sighed in relief. Rin was probably tending to Saber at the very moment. Things were going to be okay. It was a close call, for sure. He paused as strong pain lanced through the stub of his missing arm. He couldn't hold back a rough wince and grabbed over the pained spot with him remaining hand. He could feel blades shifting under the bandages he'd traced. No way he could let a doctor see this. He concentrated hard, and the blades began to recede into his body, slowly and painfully at that.

"You look like shit, boy." Nicholas commented. "I'm not gonna ask what happened, but I do expect you to follow me to the clinic." He instructed.

Shirou had no choice but to comply, and hoped that Rin and Saber would be find until he was able to reach them...

**XxBreakxX**  
_  
A horse galloped across the field of bodies. The man atop it wore brilliant silver armor, and had equally silver long hair tied into a ponytail. Any soldier who stood in his way was cut down. His skill from horseback was immense, but even that could not protect him forever. A spear found its way into his horse, sending him tumbling to the ground. He hesitated none, immediately rising and slicing through the culprit with his sword. He kept running, as if the battle itself had no purpose. He was seeking something, and would take down anything in his path to reach it. It seemed to take hours, but could have only been minutes, but the man eventually reached his destination: a hill of swords that atop it lay his worst nightmare._

_"My lord!" He screaming, rushing up the hill almost sloppily. He stumbled in his hysterics, but eventually made it to the top. He looked down and saw the fallen form of his King, covered in burns and cuts, her own blood indistinguishable from that of her foes she had felled before he had arrived. The man immediately turned her over and held her up gently, noting that she was indeed still alive. _

"_Bedivere?" His King responded, opening her only good eye slightly to get the best look she could at her apparent aid._

_"My lord, you... your wounds, we must—"_

_He was interrupted. "No... i-it's too late. We must... abandon myself, and secure Excalibur. If Morgan gets it... I..." She cut herself off with a hack of blood. "It's... somewhere c-close by... Please... return it to the lake..."_

_Bedivere was crying at this point, as if unable to fathom the death of his most respected figure in life. "I... I can't leave you here, my lord, perhaps if we... I..." He himself too knew there was no help for his King. She was too injured from her long series of battles. "If only your sheathe hadn't..." He couldn't finish, gasping for a steady breath. He looked towards his King resolutely. "If that is your will, my lord." He said, setting her down gently._

_Her blade was easy enough to find, it's beauty apparent even among the veritable graveyard of weaponry the fields and hills had turned into. "I will return... thank you for everything... My King."_

_Bedivere then sprinted off into the distance, Excalibur in hand. It was then that the King actually managed to get to her knees of her own accord. "This... is not right." She said aloud. "Camelot... is a dream... and I awoke its demise..." She reached her hand towards the low hanging sunset. "Surely... there must be a way... I offer my everything... as the Once and Future King..."_

_ALAYA ANSWERS YOUR CALL, ARTORIA PENDRAGON_

_Artoria did not know when she had collapsed again, nor when Bedivere had returned, grateful to see her still breathing. Was it truly luck, though? She felt as though her wounds were frozen. Everything was moving so slowly. Even as Bedivere laid her against a tree in a beautiful forest on an isle of sorts... she could only breathe faintly, her thoughts leaving her._

_WHEN THE TIME COMES, WILL YOU ANSWER HERS?_

**XxBreakxX**

Rin awoke with a start. She quickly adapted to her surroundings, noticing she was in bed, naked, and most definitely not alone. Snuggled against her was the equally nude form of her Servant, Saber. Light snoring then caught her attention, and she looked to find the source of which, being Shirou. He sat upright in a chair, in clean clothes and fresh bandages, asleep at the foot of their bed as if he'd been there for a long time.

Rin smiled. They were safe. But that dream, what did it truly mean?

**XxChapter 2 EndxX**

**I actually wrote a second chapter fairly quickly. Tell me what you think.**


	3. Status and Purpose

**A strong warning that through all my flashbacks for Artoria, I am purposely changing facts and taking liberties. Please don't hate me too much.**

**XxChapter StartxX**

_"Why do you reject me?!" Mordred yelled loudly. She stood below King Arthur's throne, the very same person sitting atop it._

_"It is not a matter of rejecting or denying you. I simply tell you as I see it; you do not have the capacity to be king. I will not name you my heir." Artoria responded._

_"But Mother... she raised me for this... I looked up to you so much! I worshiped you! Your strength! Your chivalry! EVERYTHING! I wanted to be that! I wanted... to be like you..."_

_Artoria's stone facade broke for but a second, short enough that Mordred did not notice. Quickly though, her kingly expression retook her features. "That is irrelevant." She had to be strong. This was the right choice. Camelot would not be safe in Mordred's hands. "By your own admission, your very conception is the result of a grave offense towards myself and the Queen. While the sins of birthright needn't be thrust upon you, who had no choice in the matter, I cannot in good conscience allow the machinations of my half-sister to proceed like this."_

_Mordred threw her armored fist to the side. "This isn't even about Mother anymore! I have served you for years! Who would you have succeed you? Sir Lancelot, who may have dedicated his life to the blade but would rather make eyes at the Queen than be productive!?" She ignored Artoria's glare at the statement. "Agravain, so far beneath your boot that he'd sooner burn a nursery than displease you? Perhaps Bedivere, calm and to the point, but with no skill or charisma behind him? I daresay only Gawain challenges me as a candidate and you know it!"_

_"I drew Caliburn because I was worthy!" Artoria finally yelled back. "I was the one who needed to do what needed to be done! Do you believe that you could have brought Camelot this far? Fought off the Saxons? Put together the greatest gathering of Knights the world has seen? I have sacrificed everything for this Kingdom and will continue to do so till the day I die! To trust you with such a legacy would be utterly foolish."_

_Mordred looked almost apoplectic. "Is that really how a King should be?" She muttered to herself, unsure of her own capacity finally. "Could I... of course I could! I can do those things even now! You cannot remain King forever! Do you wish to see Camelot fall with you? Is that what you desire? To see everything you just spoke of crumble when you are gone? That is what awaits an heirless Kingdom!"  
_

"_I will name an heir someday. It will simply not be you." Artoria concluded._

_Mordred grit her teeth so hard they almost chipped. "You will regret this, 'Father'. You will rue the day you denied me my birthright, and as I raze Camelot to the ground you will know my rebellion!"_

_Artoria looked shocked for a moment, but quickly narrowed her gaze. "You would dare threaten-"_

_"Of course I would! You would claim your rule so flawless! Your kingdom so great? Then you will see what happens when it all crumbles down! And you will know that in the end I was RIGHT!"_

**XxBreakxX**More dreams of Saber's life. Of King Arthur's life. Seeing Mordred for the first time was a shock to Rin. She couldn't really understand how it had all happened, but there was a part of her that understood what Mordred was getting at. How Saber took too much upon herself. The woman in question was out patrolling with the local milita. The thoughts of that night before crept up on Rin, causing her to blush fiercely, but she quickly gained control. It was a Tantric Ritual, yes, but there was no passion in it, much like with Shirou. It was necessity. Saber was almost unresponsive during the process, and it made Rin sick to think she had to do what she did to somebody in such a state. It was necessary though, and Saber was solidly linked to this world... wherever or whatever it was.

Rin internally scolded herself for being the last to wake up, but she was never much of a morning person. She hated them, in fact, if she were to be honest. While that Nicholas fellow dressed with armor, and the militiamen had uniforms, the local populace dressed much like the people on Earth, if a little more... trendy? Regardless, a sweater and a skirt were not impossible things to find in the town of Ansel, and her usual look was in place without much effort. She had taken to tying her hair into a single ponytail lately, as opposed to her usual pigtails. It was more practical for what she had been doing. The moment Nicholas found out she could fight too, and that her "Semblance" was useful, she was put on patrols just like Saber and Shirou.

Fully utilizing her Magecraft was impossible in front of these folk, which Shirou had to deal with as well, but knowing that supernatural types of abilities were possible among warriors on "Remnant" had allowed her to choose what she wanted to display. She closely chose this after properly gaining information on where she was, as opposed to Shirou being forced into trying to play of his Tracing as his Semblance. Rin learned everything she could, and upon discovering the material "Dust", she knew she had hit a goldmine.

Rin would be under the guise of a "Dust Mage". Her "Semblance" was the ability to infuse her "Aura" into object to strengthen it with a chant. The chant part was important, as it allowed her to essentially use jewel magecraft in the open. She explained to Nicholas the chanting process as a necessity without even having to lie. It was self-hypnosis, plain and simple, and while the grizzled Hunstman may have thought it was a purely mental thing for her, in reality it was absolutely essential to getting any of her spells to work.

Dust... such a wonderful discovery for Rin. She had Shirou use Structural Analysis on it, and found out that they were basically pre-charged with magic and very, very old. So much magic that it could be exploited with technology. The people of Remnant may have simply believed that stuffing a crystal into a gun and shooting a giant fireball or a bullet that froze what it hit was normal, but Rin knew better. Magic existed at some point on this planet, and Dust were the remains of whatever civilization wielded it. Was it always a crystal though? Did the people charge them with magic the same way she had to back on Earth? Why was it called Dust? It was buried and excavated, but also existed on the surface in ways that created insane geological phenomena (she'd heard of islands that floated via gravity dust embedded in the underbelly of them). The scholar in Rin thrived on it all, but one thing that escaped her understanding completely were the creatures of Grimm.

Monsters that simply existed. They were attracted to negativity, and had no known source. They plagued humanity so much so that the combined population of Remnant was assumed to be just a few hundred million despite the land mass being nearly on par with Earth. There were areas so saturated with Grimm, and variations of Grimm within them so strong, that colonization was impossible. In fact, the entire northwest continent on Remnant's map was nearly devoid of human life. The Grimm there were too numerous, and far too strong. To think the world they had arrived on was in such dire straits... perhaps it was too soon to breathe easy simply because Saber was safe and Shirou's wounds were treated. Rin walked out of the inn and into the town of Ansel.

Perhaps... there was a purpose to being here?

**XxBreakxX**

Artoria cut down another Beowolf with ease. While she had to limit her strength and speed to what a high-level Hunstman could exert with the aid of aura, she didn't have to completely cripple herself. With a Semblance of "wind control", she was even prepared to unleash a Strike Air if the necessity arose. Nothing though, sans the "Goliath" creatures Sir Nicholas had told her to avoid would require it.

A patrol... being ordered by a superior... was this what it was like to be a knight in her kingdom? If so, the experience was... englightening.

"Miss Pendragon, our shift is just about over. Thank you again for your hard work!" Tobias, the second-in-command of the Ansel town militia commended. "Your swings are so swift and strong, it's like watching a dance, I swear! You don't even need a gun, do you?" He praised further.

Artoria chuckled at the form of address. To not only have her true name out in the open, but her gender as well? For there to be no recognition or judgment for it even after the fact? There was something invigorating about it all. To just be herself for once, with her trusted friends. The title of "Master" was something Rin still held, to be sure, but it meant little without a Grail War in progress. "Rin" would suffice, as would "Shirou". There was no hierarchy between them anymore. They had gone through too much together. Saber would admit to seeing a bit of a... how it was said... "whipped" personality to Shirou when Rin got upset. They were adorably awkward together, unable to truly come to terms with being in a relationship yet eager to explore it at the same time. The Arc children teased them about it constantly, and Artoria herself could not deny being amused at times.

"I don't believe I would be well suited to using one even should I desire, Sir Tobias. My current style of combat suits me just fine, and has for many years." She finally responded.

"Come now, Miss Pendragon, you sound so much older than you are. Enjoy your youth!"

Artoria couldn't help but flinch at the statement. Enjoy her youth? Such an opportunity had long passed. Artoria would never admit it, but she was approaching her fortieth year soon. While her body seemed to be a young woman between fifteen and sixteen years of age, as per the influence of Avalon, she was much older than she seemed.

On the topic of Avalon, it would appear Shirou possessed it. For Kiritsugu to use her relic in such a manner... she would say she was surprised, if she were to be honest. She had thought the man colder than that... but Irisviel had sworn differently, as had Shirou when speaking of him. Perhaps it was time she let her grudge with the man go. To disparage the dead would do no one good. Avalon though, with her presence strong and near it, allowed Shirou to heal at a remarkable rate. But Artoria noticed something at the dawn of her third week in Ansel. Her hair... it had grown.

Her body was set in stasis first by Avalon, and second by Alaya. To age once more... it scared her, to be fair. She hadn't known such a sensation since childhood. Her body seemed to be accelerating if anything. While the people of Ansel would see nothing different about her, as they had only seen her one way, Shirou and Rin could tell she was aging faster than a normal human. Her height and embarrassingly her bust had both grown by a few centimeters. Would this persist? Would it even out? She didn't know, and it was worrying to be certain. Having to explain to Sir Nicholas she needed a new uniform was quite the experience. Alaya didn't exist on Remnant, and the affects showed.

What though, did the future hold for her?

**XxBreakxX**

"Well, Emiya? How is it?" Nicholas asked the teen sitting in the clinic's patient chair.

The teen in question raised his right arm to the light on the ceiling. A mechanical arm, of pure silver and wondrous quality. He flexed his new fingers individually. Her turned his hand palm forward, than towards himself. He was quiet for a moment. He looked at Nicholas.

"Sorry, but... I kinda hate it." He admitted.

The Hunstman frowned, but persevered. "I can understand not feeling great about it, but if you want to be normal again, you have to-"

"There is no normal for me anymore, Mister Arc. I left that kind of thing behind a long time ago, to be honest. It's not that I don't appreciate the gesture. I can't imagine how much this cost, but... I can't feel it. My aura won't go through it. It's so... alien."

"It figures..." Nicholas sighed. "...that you'd refuse it on the basis of how it feels, as opposed to how it functions. It's supposed to be really high quality though. You should be able to feel the arm itself, if not what it touches."

Shirou weakly smiled in return. "It's amazing technology to be sure. I can't believe how well it responds to my thoughts, or how accurately it moves. It's unreal. I just... don't know if it's something I want."

"That's fine, all I'd suggest is that you wear it for at least a week and make your decision then. I called in a favor to get that arm, and it's only cuz of all the work Miss Pendragon has been doing that it was okay'd."

Shirou's smile became more genuine at that. "Artoria..." he said, testing the name as if it were unfamiliar. "She really is something else, isn't she?"

"Kicked my ass up and down the training grounds, she did." Nicholas admitted. "A fine swordsman if there ever was one. And if you want to continue learning from her, that arm would help a lot."

"I understand, sir. I'll definitely give it a try." The redhead finally acquiesced.

To think technology like this could exist and thrive in such a challenged and threatened society. A robotic arm? Shirou would have thought it naught but science fiction and fantasy had he not been using one at the very moment. He wasn't lying when he said he didn't like it, though. As a magus, to not feel circuits responding in a limb was like a sort of numbness. The gesture from Mister Arc was immensely kind though, and he couldn't deny that as a swordsman he'd need the arm. He'd suggested to Rin a few ideas, but she shot them all down. It looked like he was going to be using a... robot arm... for the immediate future. How weird was that?

And speaking on the future, it was really up in the air. They were technically free to do what they wanted, but they couldn't freeload on the people of Ansel forever. Well... Rin couldn't. He was a cook at the inn, while Artoria was the star member of the militia. Rin, on the other hand, demanded books and dust crystals. He'd have to talk to her about that, and honestly he dreaded the encounter. Regardless, they needed to figure out what was next for them. His relationship with Rin was honestly pretty awkward at the moment, and those damn girls of Nicholas' loved to mock it. Jaune, though, was very passive. The only boy in a family of eight must have been quite tiring, but there was something in his eye's Shirou couldn't help but sympathize with.

The Arc family was nice enough to pay for their first few nights at the inn until Artoria started earning their keep. Rin and himself were expected to patrol, but hunting missions had seemed reserved for the former Servant. He then started cooking at the inn, and things began to even out for them. Rin seemed intent on learning more about Remnant, and Nicholas had informed her that if she wished to be a student of higher learning, she'd have to go to one of the bigger cities. Vale, in particular, would serve her quite well.

Artoria though, was considered on the fast track to being a Huntress. Nicholas was convinced she could get her license immediately (he had no idea) and she herself was a bit unnerved at being so subservient in a military. Shirou could tell. Nicholas took his license exam at Beacon Academy, which was in Vale. Another point to heading there. Shirou himself though couldn't figure out where he was headed in life. Perhaps he too would find his calling in Vale.

Speaking on Beacon Academy, the world of Huntsman and Huntresses was enthralling to Shirou. The Hero of Justice he wanted to be was very much possible in this new world, and maybe that's what he needed as well. He couldn't get away with taking a license exam like Artoria could though. He'd have to go through a grueling four years of combat education. Could he really hamper Artoria and Rin like that? Rin could go to college, Artoria could join live as a Huntress in the city with her, while Shirou himself studied at Beacon to one day be a Huntsman. It was as good a plan as any, he supposed.

As he left the clinic with Nicholas, thinking on these things, Miss Arc came from around the corner looking quite frantic. She ran up to her husband.

"Nick!" She said, stopping to catch her breath.

"Juniper? What's wrong?!" Nicholas responded.

Miss Arc finally caught her breath. "It's Jaune! He's missing! The guards said the cameras saw him leaving down the path to Hylia while there was a break in the patrol."

"Okay, calm down, we can figure this out. Is there anything else we know?"

"He took your grandfather's sword!"

"Well, that narrows down what he's doing, but-"

"And your savings!"

"I'LL TAN HIS HIDE!"

Shirou had a feeling his purpose was about to come to him.

**XxBreakxX**

**Forgive me for the wait. I worked hard on this, so please tell me your thoughts!**

**Xeno.**


End file.
